Papers by Joshua Seetanah
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 2017
The cost-effective utilisation of low-grade thermal energy with temperatures below 150 ℃ for elec... more The cost-effective utilisation of low-grade thermal energy with temperatures below 150 ℃ for electricity generation still constitutes an engineering challenge. Existing technology, e.g. the organic Rankine cycle machines, are complex and only economical for larger power outputs. At Southampton University, the steam condensation cycle for a working temperature of 100 ℃ was analysed theoretically. The cycle uses water as working fluid, which has the advantages of being cheap, readily available, non-toxic, non-inflammable and non-corrosive, and works at and below atmospheric pressure, so that leakage and sealing are not problematic. Steam expansion will increase the theoretical efficiency of the cycle from 6.4% (no expansion) to 17.8% (expansion ratio 1:8). In this article, the theoretical development of the cycle is presented. A 40 Watt experimental engine was built and tested. Efficiencies ranged from 0.02 (no expansion) to 0.055 (expansion ratio 1:4). The difference between theoreti...
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Papers by Joshua Seetanah